Slaný (; ) is a town in
Kladno District
Kladno District () is a Okres, district in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Kladno.
Administrative division
Kladno District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with extend ...
in the
Central Bohemian Region
The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...
of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. It has about 17,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an
urban monument zone.
Administrative division
Slaný consists of ten municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
*Slaný (13,728)
*Blahotice (27)
*Dolín (412)
*Kvíc (467)
*Kvíček (790)
*Lotouš (61)
*Netovice (77)
*Otruby (110)
*Trpoměchy (154)
*Želevčice (119)
Etymology
The word ''slaný'' literally means 'salty' in Czech. According to the
Wenceslaus Hajek's chronicle records, Slaný was founded at the site of a salt spring below the hill of Slánská hora.
Geography
Slaný is located about north of
Kladno
Kladno (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 70,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the region and has a rich industrial history.
Administrative division
Kladno consists of six municipal parts ...
and northwest of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. It lies in the
Prague Plateau
The Prague Plateau () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the area of Prague and in the Central Bohemian Region.
Geomorphology
The Prague Plateau is a mesoregion of the Brdy Macroregion within ...
. The highest point and a dominant feature of the town's panorama is the hill Slánská hora at above sea level. The stream of Červený potok flows through the municipal territory from the southwest to the northeast.
History
The first written mention of Slaný is from 1262.
[ The town grew as a result of its location on the trade route between ]Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
. The Benedictines
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...
established a hospital here in 1136, together with a church dedicated to St. Gotthard. It was this large presence of the church, and the unconsolidated state of landed property that went with it, that allowed King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia
Wenceslaus II Přemyslid (; ; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–130 ...
to charter Slaný as a town and give his royal assent to its Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights (, , ; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages gr ...
only sometime in the decade after 1295.[ In 1348, an earthquake damaged the now-fortified town; in 1371, a large fire broke out, and the church had to be rebuilt.
Slaný was captured by the Taborites in 1425 during the ]Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
, and remained in their hands until 1434. Not only did the Benedictine monks have to leave — this town by the hill was also one of Hussite
file:Hussitenkriege.tif, upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century
file:The Bohemian Realm during the Hussite Wars.png, upright=1.2, The Lands of the ...
holy cities, and their preachers expected it to survive the anticipated end of the world. Later, King George of Poděbrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad (; ), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the ...
gave Slaný many privileges, after the town had supported his election to the throne. The town also participated in the Bohemian Revolt
The Bohemian Revolt (; ; 1618–1620) was an uprising of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian Estates of the realm, estates against the rule of the Habsburg dynasty that began the Thirty Years' War. It was caused by both religious and power dispu ...
that opened the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, housing the family of King Frederick V. After the Battle of White Mountain
The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years.
It was fought on 8 November 16 ...
, that meant a defeat for the cause, the town suffered as a result of the ravages of war. Afterwards, the new Catholic possessors of Slaný, the Martinic family
The Martinic family or House of Martinice ( or ''z Martinic'', ) was a Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of p ...
, erected a Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
church and edifice that, together with a new monastery, adorn the town to this day.[
From the middle of the 19th century, Slaný began to be industrialized. The industry focused primarily on the needs of agriculture.][
]
Demographics
Transport
Slaný is situated at the crossing of the Prague–Louny
Louny (; ) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 18,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument ...
and Mělník
Mělník (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zon ...
–Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...
roads, near the end of the unfinished D7 motorway.
Slaný is the terminus and starting point of the railway line from/to Kralupy nad Vltavou
Kralupy nad Vltavou (; ) is a town in Mělník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. It is known as a traffic hub and industrial agglomeration.
Administrative division
Kralupy nad Vltavou c ...
. The town is served by two train stations.
Education
Slaný is home to three secondary schools: Václav Beneš Třebízský Gymnasium, Dr. Edvard Beneš Business Academy, and Secondary Vocational School Slaný. There are five primary schools and also one primary art school.
Sport
Slaný is the home venue of the motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
club AK Slaný. Motorcycle speedway is held at the Slaný Speedway Stadium in the southeast of the town. It was opened in 1950. The venue hosted the final of the 1962 Speedway World Team Cup.
Sights
The former town hall on the town square is the main landmark of the town. it is located on the site of a house, which donated King Charles IV to the town in 1378. It was burned and then rebuilt several times and its present neo-Renaissance appearance dates from 1895–1896. It has a high clock tower. Today it is the seat of the police and of a gallery.
The second landmark of the town square is the former Piarist college. It was built in 1658–1665. It served students until 1939. Today it is a museum, library and cinema. The Chapel of the Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary is used for social events.[
Velvary Gate is one of the last remnants of the town fortifications. It dates from the second half of the 15th century. Today it houses an exhibition of the town museum.][
The formerly ]Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
monastery was founded in 1655 and completed in 1662. Since 1996, it has been home to the Order of Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel () or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (; abbreviation, abbrev.: OCD; sometimes called in earlier times, ), is a Catho ...
. The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1581–1602. The core of the church is the Loreto Chapel with a statue of the Black Mother of God, which was built in 1657.
The deanery Church of Saint Gotthard is a Gothic church located on the site of a former Romanesque basilica from the 13th century. The original Renaissance baptistery dates from 1511.
Notable people
* Josef Matěj Navrátil (1798–1865), painter
*Václav Beneš Třebízský
Václav Beneš Třebízský (27 February 1849 – 20 June 1884) was a Czechs, Czech priest and writer. Despite his short life, he was a very prolific author and was one of the most popular Czech writers of his time. He wrote mainly historical nov ...
(1849–1884), priest and novelist; studied here
* Jan Malypetr (1873–1947), politician, prime minister of Czechoslovakia
* Oskar Fischer (1876–1942), psychiatrist and neuropathologist
* Olga Scheinpflugová (1902–1968), actress and author
* Karel Smyczek (born 1950), film director and screenwriter
* Eva Urbanová (born 1961), operatic soprano
* Roman Matoušek (1964–2020), national champion speedway rider
*Martin Procházka
Martin Procházka (, born March 3, 1972, in Slaný, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player. Procházka was drafted 135th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and played 32 games in the Nation ...
(born 1972), ice hockey player
* Jiří Tlustý (born 1988), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
Slaný is twinned with:[
* Pegnitz, Germany
* ]Skalica
Skalica (, , Latin: ''Sakolcium'') is the largest town in Skalica District in western Slovakia in the Záhorie region. Located near the Czech Republic, Czech border, Skalica has a population of around 15,000.
Etymology
The name is derived from Slo ...
, Slovakia
Friendly towns
Slaný also cooperates with:[
* Bolatice, Czech Republic
* ]Guyancourt
Guyancourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero ...
, France
* Linlithgow
Linlithgow ( ; ; ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a historic route between Edi ...
, Scotland, United Kingdom
Slaný is a part of the ''Commonwealth of Towns With Hussite Past and Tradition,'' along with other 11 Czech and 6 German municipalities.
Gallery
References
External links
*
Tourist Information Centre
History of the town
Museum of Slaný
Culture life in Slaný
Slaný
– travel guide (basic facts, history, sights, day trips)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slany
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Kladno District